


I'll be the bright, in black that's makin' you run.

by Redonkgirl



Series: 'Til the love runs out [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Captain America: The Winter Soldier Spoilers, F/M, Female Bucky Barnes, Female Tony Stark, One-Sided Tony Stark/Steve Rogers - Freeform, Retelling of the Winter Soldier, Slightly - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-07
Updated: 2014-07-17
Packaged: 2018-02-07 19:11:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1910433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redonkgirl/pseuds/Redonkgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve Rogers has lived in the future for over two years and he still isn't comfortable.<br/>He isn't comfortable with the secrets SHIELD is hiding.<br/>He isn't comfortable with the Genius, Billionaire, Playgirl, Philanthropist who's working with SHIELD and sending some signals he isn't ready for.<br/>He isn't comfortable with the fact the woman he loves has been dead for over 90 years.<br/>And on top of that he has to deal with the rise of the Nazi organization that he's already had to deal with once, and a woman in black called The Winter Soldier, who he feels a bit too comfortable with.<br/>You know<br/>When she isn't trying to kill him</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I'll be running

Steve Rogers was having a fairly bad day (or was it two days? He didn’t know, all he knew was that he’d been having a fairly bad time since the last time he slept) He and the team  saved the hostages, but it turned out Natasha was given a different mission then the rest of them.

“You just can't stop yourself from lying, can you?” Steve said sardonically as he stalked into Fury’s office

“I didn't lie. Agent Romanoff had a different mission than yours.” Fury replied calmly

“Which you didn't feel obliged to share.” Steve pointed out

“I'm not obliged to do anything.” Fury said, getting a bit more annoyed

“Those hostages could've died, Nick.” Steve said, knowing that his lack of respect would annoy Fury more than anything

“I sent the greatest soldier in history to make sure that didn't happen.” Fury countered

“Soldiers trust each other, that's what makes it an army. Not a bunch of guys running around and shooting guns.” Steve said, knowing he sounded preachy but honestly not caring what Fury thought of him at this point

“The last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye. Look, I didn't want you doing anything you weren't comfortable with. Agent Romanoff is comfortable with everything.” Fury tried to explain, wanting one of SHIELD’s greatest asset happy with them.

“I can't lead a mission when the people I'm leading have missions of their own.”

“It's called compartmentalization. Nobody spills the secrets because nobody knows them all.” Fury clarified

“Except you.” Steve said grudgingly

“You're wrong about me. I do share. I'm nice like that.” Fury said sarcastically, leaving the room with Steve at his heels

Fury stepped into a glass elevator with Steve following him closely

“Insight bay.”

“Captain Rogers does not have clearance for Project Insight.” The SHIELD computer responded

“Director override, Fury, Nicholas J.”

“Confirmed.” The computer said before the elevator started to lower

After a few seconds in the elevator Steve spoke

“You know, they used to play music.”

“Yeah. My grandfather operated one of these things for forty years. My granddad worked in a nice building, he got good tips. He'd walk home every night, roll of ones stuffed in his lunch bag. He'd say "hi", people would say hi back. Time went on, neighborhood got rougher. He'd say "Hi", they'd say, "Keep on steppin'." Granddad got to grippin' that lunch bag a little tighter.” Nick reminisced

“Did he ever get mugged?” Steve asked  

“Every week some punk would say, "What's in the bag?"”

“Well, what did he do?” Steve asked

“He'd show 'em. A bunch of crumpled ones and loaded 0.22 Magnum.” Fury smiled “Granddad loved people. But he didn't trust them very much.”

As the elevator lowered beneath the earth and into and underground work facility, Steve turned to see giant Helicarriers

“Yeah, I know. They're a little bit bigger than a 0.22.”

 Fury began showing Steve around the workplace

“This is Project Insight. Three next generation Helicarriers synced to a network of targeting satellites.”

“Launched from the Lemurian Star.” Steve said

“Once we get them in the air they never need to come down. Continuous suborbital flight courtesy of our new repulser engines.” Fury stated “These new long range precision guns can eliminate a thousand hostiles a minute. The satellites can read a terrorist's DNA before he steps outside his spider hole. We gonna neutralize a lot of threats before they even happen.”

“I thought the punishment usually came after the crime.” Steve stated

“We can't afford to wait that long.” Nick stated plainly

“Who's "we"?”

“After New York, I convinced the World Security Council we needed a quantum surgeon threat analysis. For once we're way ahead of the curve.”

“By holding a gun at everyone on Earth and calling it protection.” Steve said

“You know, I read those SSR files. Greatest generation? You guys did some nasty stuff.” That was low blow and Fury knew it, but Steve refused to allow it to hurt him, or, at least, refused to show the damage

“Yeah, we compromised. Sometimes in ways that made us not sleep so well. But we did it so the people could be free. This isn't freedom, this is fear.” Steve said, pointing at the Helicarriers

“SHIELD takes the world as it is, not as we'd like it to be. It's getting damn near past time for you to get with that program, Cap.”

“Don't hold your breath.” Steve said scathingly, turning and walking off

As he walked he noticed that a woman with her back to him, yelling at one of the men. Steve paused, recognizing her

“IF YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO REWIRE THIS THEN YOU DON’T BELONG ON THE TEAM.” Steve smiled slightly at the voice

“A little harsh, Toni.” He said, smiling slightly. Toni turned around abruptly and smiled her half smile

“No one told me they were letting vets tour SHIELD.” She smirked, making Steve roll his eyes

“You and Nat, I swear.”

“Ohh, swearing is something very bad, I wouldn’t expect your 40’s sensibilities to understand.” Tony said, waving at the guy to go “And Nat? When did you two become besties?”

“Fury knows we work well together.” Steve shrugged “Are you and SHIELD ‘besties’ now?”

Toni winced slightly “Steve…”

“If I recall, you were out of the weapons of mass destruction business.” Steve said

“Steve, these Helicarriers are going up with or without me.” Toni said, crossing her arms

“So why help?” Steve asked

Toni looked around distrustfully, moving a few steps closer to Steve

“Something’s up, Stevie, and I’m just making sure there isn’t anything wrong with these ‘weapons of mass destruction’ as you so nicely put it.” Toni smiled mocking, which slipped of her face when a loud bang resounded through the work bay and two men began yelling at each other. Toni shut her eyes, heaving a large breath of annoyance “I gotta go, we’re going out for Starbucks later though.” Toni started walking away, then she turned around so she was walking backwards “Starbucks is like this cof-.”

“Go.” Steve said, laughing slightly, Toni laughed and turned around and walked over to the arguing men

                                                                                        …

Steve wandered through the Smithsonian Museum dedicated to him, _“Not me; Captain America.”_

He studied each display, trying to avoid one, when he saw a little boy had noticed him. He put a finger to his lips, the little boy just nodded in awe. Steve continued to look around until he didn’t have a choice and was face to face with the display that caused him pain.

“Best friends since childhood, lovers long before the war, Rebecca “Bucky” Barnes and Steven Rogers were inseparable on both school yard and battlefield. Barnes is the only female Howling commando, and, sadly, the only one to give her life in service of her country.” Steve looked at the picture of the smirking woman whose last moments loved to frequent his dreams.

                                                                                        …

“You should be proud of yourself, Peggy.” Steve smiled down at Peggy Carter, now worn from the years and laying in a bed

“Mm. I have lived a life. My only regret is that you didn't get to live yours.” Peggy stated, noticing Steve’s expression “What is it?”

“For as long as I can remember I just wanted to do what was right. I guess I'm not quite sure what that is anymore. And I thought I could throw myself back in and follow orders, serve. It's just not the same.”

“You're always so dramatic.” Peggy chuckled “Look, you saved the world. We rather...mucked it up.”

“You didn't. Knowing that you helped found SHIELD is half the reason I stay.” Steve smiled

Peggy took Steve’s hand “The world has changed and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes the best that we can do is to start over.” Peggy started coughing hard; Steve turned and grabbed some water for her. When Steve turned back around, Peggy looked at him like it was the first time she’d seen him

“Steve?”

“Yeah.” Steve said quietly

“You're alive! You...you came, you came back.”

“Yeah, Peggy.” Steve smiled as Peggy began to cry

“It's been so long. So long.”

“Well, I couldn't leave you behind. Not when you and I need to go dancing.”

“And Rebecca?” Peggy said, crying still

Steve swallowed hard and forced a smile

“Yeah, and Bucky.”


	2. There's a maniac out in front of me.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve Rogers has lived in the future for over two years and he still isn't comfortable.  
> He isn't comfortable with the secrets SHIELD is hiding.  
> He isn't comfortable with the Genius, Billionaire, Playgirl, Philanthropist who's working with SHIELD and sending some signals he isn't ready for.  
> He isn't comfortable with the fact the woman he loves has been dead for over 90 years.  
> And on top of that he has to deal with the rise of the Nazi organization that he's already had to deal with once, and a woman in black called The Winter Soldier, who he feels a bit too comfortable with.  
> You know  
> When she isn't trying to kill him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go, Kudos is appreciated!

Steve watched quietly from the back as Sam Wilson gave a PTSD group meeting for veterans.

“The thing is I think it's getting worse. A cop pulled me over last week, he thought I was drunk. I swerved to miss a plastic bag. I thought it was an IED.” A young woman stated

“Some stuff you leave there, other stuff you bring back. It's our job to figure out how to carry it. Is it gonna be in a big suitcase or in a little man-purse? It's up to you.” Sam said kindly but firmly from the front of the room

After the meeting ended and the group began to disperse, Steve made his way to Sam, who was saying goodbye to the woman who’d spoken earlier.

“Look who it is. The running man.” Sam teased; Steve smiled at the reference to their first meeting

“Caught the last few minutes. It's pretty intense.” Steve said

“Yeah, brother, we all got the same problems. Guilt, regret.” Sam replied, Steve noticed his tone of voice; the same tone he acquired when he spoke about Bucky

“You lose someone?”

“My wingman, Riley. Fly in the night mission. A standard PJ rescue op, nothing we hadn't done a thousand times before, till RPG knock Riley's dumb ass out of the sky. Nothing I could do. It's like I was up there just to watch.” Sam said ruefully

“I’m sorry.” Steve sympathized, thinking of his own lose

“After that, I had really hard time finding a reason for being over there, you know?” Sam said, shrugging

“But you're happy now, back in the world?” Steve asked

“Hey, the number of people giving me orders is down to about zero. So, hell, yeah. You thinking about getting out? Sam asked

“No. I don't know. To be honest, I don't know what I would do with myself if I did.” Steve admitted

“Ultimate fighting?” Sam suggested, making Steve laugh “It's just a great idea off the top of my head. But seriously, you could do whatever you want to do. What makes you happy?”

Steve’s eyes clouded over to the one thing that would make him happy now, and how that was never attainable

“I don’t know.”

 

Nick Fury drove his car through the busy D.C traffic, considering what was going on with the file not opening, and what was going on with Project Insight. He was hoping that Pierce would be able to delay it, but he wasn’t going to take any chances. He instructed the SHIELD car to place a call

“Activating communications encryption protocol.” The car responded

“Open secure line zero-four-zero-five.” Nick commanded

“Confirmed.”

“This is Hill.” Maria said over the line

“I need you here in D.C. Deep shadow conditions.” Nick stated

“Give me four hours.” Maria stated

“You have three, over.” Nick said, stopping at a red light. He looked over to the other car, where two police officers were watching him suspiciously

“Want to see my lease?” Nick said sarcastically, the policemen suddenly turning on the siren, before driving off. As Fury began to drive a different police car smashed into him, his car suddenly surrounded by several other police cars, all of them crashing into him.

“Fracture detected. Recommend anesthetic injection.” The car said, as Nick was giving himself the injection, a SWAT team truck pulled up

“D.C. Metropolice dispatch shows no units in this area.” The car stated, Nick realizing he’s surrounded by disguised mercenaries

“Get me out of here!” Nick yelled at the computer as the mercenaries began shooting Nick’s car

“Propulsion systems offline.”

“Then reboot, dammit!”

As the armor on Nick’s car got weaker, the mercenaries brought out a battering ram

“Warning! Window integrity compromised.” The car stated

“You think? How long to propulsion?” Nick asked

“Calculating.”

The mercenaries started to batter the car window

“Window Integrity thiry-one percent. Deploying countermeasures.” The car said

“Hold that order!” Nick stated, the battering ram smashing into the window again

“Window Integrity nineteen percent. Offensive measures advised.”

“Wait!” Nick said, the battering ram smashed against the window again

“Window Integrity one percent.” The car said

“Now!” a small mounted gun pulls out from inside the car, Nick fired upon the mercenaries, causing some of the cars to explode

“Propulsion systems now online.”

“Full acceleration, now!” Nick ordered, as he continued to fire the car automatically backed up and drove off

“Initiate vertical takeoff!

“Flight systems damaged.”

“Then activate guidance camera!” Nick ordered “Give me the wheel!” as he drove the car recklessly; pursued by the mercenaries he ordered the car “Get me Agent Hill.”

“Communications array damaged.”

“Well, what's not damaged?” Nick asked, pissed off

“Air conditioning is fully operational.” Nick sighed in annoyance as he weaved through traffic, still trailed by mercenaries

“Traffic ahead.” The car warned

“Give me an alternate route.”

“Traffic alert on Roosevelt Bridge. All vehicles stopped. 17 Avenue clear in three blocks, directly ahead.” The car said, Fury smashing into some cars, causing a pile up, and shaking off some of the mercenaries. Two cars manage to sandwich Fury’s car between them,

“Warning, approaching intersection.” Fury slammed on his brakes, the other cars still hurtling towards the intersection, only for them to get slammed into by a truck. Fury swerved to the left

“Get me off the grid!”

“Calculating route to secure location.”

Then, through Nick’s bullet riddled windshield, there was a woman covered in black standing in the middle of the road. Her face was covered by a pair of goggles and what looked to be a black muzzle, the only natural part of her visible was her knotted, dark hair that went down to the top of her breasts. She lifted a strange shaped gun and shot it at Nick’s car; it went under it and attached itself to the bottom.

Then it exploded

Flipping Fury’s car, the woman just barely stepping to the side in time, and sending it skidding. As the smoke began to clear slightly, the woman made her way over to the car, she pulled the door off effortlessly with her left arm and stuck her head down to see Nick.

But he was gone

And all that was left was a hole in the ground he had dug with a laser.

 

Steve walked up the stairs to his apartment, and was getting his keys out when his neighbor, Kate, came out of her apartment; on the phone and carrying laundry.

“That's so sweet. That is so nice. Hey. I gotta go, though. Okay, bye.” She said, hanging up

“My aunt, she's kind of an insomniac.” She explained, Steve smiling at her slightly “Oh, and I think you left your stereo on.”

“Oh, Right, thank you.” Steve said, covering up the fact he knew he hadn’t left the stereo on.

The Record player had been a house warming gift from Toni, who was surprisingly sincere about it, but he had never used it. He couldn’t stand listening to music from before, not when it reminded him of how much Bucky loved dancing, and used to force him to take her out, no matter the looks they got.

 

Steve slowly crept through the window into his house, grabbing his shield for protection. He entered the room where the music was playing and found Nick Fury sitting on his couch, the lights off.

“I don't remember giving you a key.” Steve said

“You really think I'd need one? My wife kicked me out.” Nick lied

“Didn't know you were married.” Steve stated

“There are a lot of things you don't about me.” Nick said

“I know, Nick. That's the problem.” Steve reached and turned on the lamp, only to see Nick’s injuries. Nick raised a finger to his lips, and turns that light off, then he wrote something out on his phone.

Eyes everywhere.

“I'm sorry to have do this, but I had no place else to crash.” Nick said, showing Steve another text;

SHIELD compromised.

“Who else knows about your wife?” Steve asked

Nick showed him another text;

You and Me.

“Just...my friends.” Nick said hesitantly

“Is that what we are?” Steve asked

“That's up to you.”

Three shots were fired directly into Nick through the window, causing him to collapse. Steve ran to see the shooter before dragging Nick into the next room. Nick holds out the flash drive

“Don't...trust anyone.” He says before passing out, Steve looks up to the sound of someone breaking into his apartment

“Captain Rogers?” His neighbor suddenly entered, holding a gun “Captain, I'm Agent 13 of SHIELD's Special Service.”

“Kate?” Steve asked, shocked

“I'm assigned to protect you.” She said

“On whose order?” Steve asked, outraged

Agent 13 noticed Fury’s body “His.” She then began to contact SHIELD through her radio “Foxtrot is down, he's unresponsive. I need EMTs.”

“Do you have a twenty on the shooter?” a SHIELD agent said over the radio, Steve noticing someone in black through the window

“Tell them I'm in pursuit.”

Steve jumped out of his window and flew the window in the office building across. He started running through the building; looking up through the grates he could catch a glimpse of the shooter. He slammed through walls and had to jump across the hallways to turn. He jumped through a window onto a rooftop where the shooter had just landed in a forward roll. He threw his shield hard at them, hard enough knock them out.

She turned around and caught it.

With her left, metal arm.

She looked at him a moment longer, allowing Steve to process what she looked like; long, dark, unwashed hair, a black makeup around her eyes, and a muzzle to conceal herself.

She looked like she could be beautiful.

She swung her arm back and threw the shield back.

Steve caught it, looking down in shock as the force moved him backwards.

When he looked up again, she was gone.

Steve ran to the side, hoping to catch a glimpse of the woman, but she wasn’t there.

It was like she was a ghost

_Who was that?_


	3. Oh, we all want the same thing

Natasha and Toni ran up to where Steve was standing, studying Nick’s surgery.

“Will he live?” Toni asked, as Natasha watched in muffled horror

“I don't know.” Steve said quietly

“Tell me about the shooter.” Natasha commanded

“She's fast and strong.” Steve said

“She?” Toni asked, thinking of how female assassins disguised themselves heavily enough so that their gender wasn’t easily discerned “How could you tell?”

“She had long hair, and, um.” Steve turned red, the remainder of his 40s sensibilities coming into play 

“Oh, sure, the only time Captain America enjoys the aesthetics of the female form is when the woman just shot his boss.” Toni said bitingly, picking up on what Steve was too embarrassed to say “Any other part of her body that you noticed?”

Steve suddenly became irrationally annoyed with Toni’s insinuation about the woman so he said the response that would put Toni off the most

“In fact I did;” Toni looked at him in surprise “She had a metal arm.”

Before Toni could respond, Maria Hill ran up to join the three standing there

“Ballistics?” Natasha asked, seemingly not even paying attention to Steve and Toni, but filing Toni’s bitterness away for later use.

“Three slugs. No rifling and completely untraceable.” Maria stated

“Soviet made?” Natasha asked

“Yeah.” Maria replied, surprised. Natasha swallowed hard.

The four stared in shock as Fury’s state began decline.

“He's dropping.”

“Crash cart coming in.”

“Nurse, help me with the gauzes, please. BP is dropping. Defibrillator!”

“Charge to one hundred.”

“Don't do this to me, Nick” Natasha pleaded under her breath

“Stand back! Three, two, one. Clear.”

“Pulse?”

“No pulse.”

“Okay. Charge to two hundred, please. Stand back! Three, two, one. Clear!”

“Give me epinephrine! Pulse?”

“Negative.”

“Don't do this to me, Nick. Don't do this to me.” Natasha begged again

Flat line

Steve turned away as Natasha began to blink hard and Toni rubbed her face

“What's the time?”

“1:03, Doctor.”

“Time of death, 1:03 A.M.”

Steve looked down at the flash drive

 

Natasha stood next to Nick’s body while Steve and Toni stood in the doorway. Natasha let tears run down her face freely, not caring about the other two standing there. Maria walked up

“We need to take him.” Steve nodded and walked over to Natasha

Natasha didn’t respond, simply touched her hand tenderly to Nick’s head and then turns and walks out.

“Natasha!” Steve called after her, Toni on his heels

“Why was Fury in your apartment?” Natasha asked

“I don't know.” Steve lied,

“Captain, they want you back at SHIELD.” Rumlow, SHIELD agent, interrupted

“Yeah, give me a second.” Steve said

“They want you now.” Rumlow insisted

“Okay.” Steve said, irritated

“You're a terrible liar.” Natasha said before turning and walking off. Steve looked at Toni who just shrugged and walked away. Steve’s eyes suddenly land on the open vending machine next to him.

“Let's go.” Steve said to Rumlow

“STRIKE, move it out.”

Steve hardly paid attention; instead he wondered why Nick had given him the flash drive he had just hidden behind the bubblegum in the vending machine.

 

As Steve entered the SHIELD office he overheard the end of a conversation

“For whatever it's worth, you did your best.” Pierce said to Agent 13

“Thank you, sir.” She said, before leaving

“Captain Rogers.”

Steve didn’t even look at her “Neighbor.”

“Ah, Captain. I'm Alexander Pierce.”

“Sir, it's an honor.” Steve said, shaking his hand

“The honor is mine, Captain. My father served in the 101st. Come on in.”

Pierce showed Steve an old photo of him and Nick

“That photo was taken five years after Nick and I met. When I was at State Department in Bogota. ELN rebels took the embassy, and security got me out, but the rebels took hostages. Nick was deputy chief for the SHIELD station there. And he comes to me with a plan. He wants to storm the building through the sewers. I said, "No, we'll negotiate." Turned out the ELN didn't negotiate, so they put out a kill order. They stormed the basement, and what did they find? They find it empty. Nick had ignored my direct order and carried out an unauthorized military operation on foreign soil. He saved the lives of a dozen political officers, including my daughter.”

“So you gave him a promotion.” Steve said

“I've never had any cause to regret it.”

“Captain, why was Nick in your apartment last night?” Pierce asked

“I don't know.” Steve lied

“You know it was bugged?” Pierce asked

“I did, because Nick told me.” Steve said bluntly

“Did he tell you he was the one who bugged it?” Pierce asked, Steve lack of reply was an answer in itself

“I want you to see something.” Pierce said, pulling up footage of Batroc being interrogated

“Who hired you, Batroc?” the SHIELD agent on the footage asked

“Is that live?” Steve asked

“Yeah, they picked him up last night in a not-so-safe house in Algiers.” Pierce said

“Are you saying he's a suspect? Assassination isn't Batroc's line.”

“No, it's more complicated than that. Batroc was hired anonymously to attack the Lemurian Star and he was contacted by e-mail and paid by wire transfer. And then the money was run through seventeen fictitious accounts, the last one going to a holding company that was registered to a Jacob Veech.” Pierce said

“Am I supposed to know who that is?” Steve asked

“Not likely.” Pierce said, passing Steve a file “Veech died six years ago. His last address was 14-35 Elmhurst Drive. When I first met Nick his mother lived at 14-37.”

“Are you saying Fury hired the pirates? Why?” Steve asked

“Well the prevailing theory was that the hijacking was a cover for the acquisition and sale of classified intelligence. The sale went sour and that led to Nick's death.” Pierce stated

“If you really knew Nick Fury you know that's not true.” Steve protested

“Why do you think we're talking?” Pierce asked

“See, I took a seat on the Council not because I wanted to but because Nick asked me to, because we were both realists. We knew that despite all the diplomacy and the handshaking and the rhetoric, that to build a really better world sometimes means having to tear the old one down. And that makes enemies. Those people that call you dirty because you got the guts to stick your hands in the mud and try to build something better. And the idea that those people could be happy today, makes me really, really angry.” Pierce said hesitating for a moment “Captain, you were the last one to see Nick alive. I don't think that's an accident, and I don't think you do either. So I'm gonna ask again, why was he there?”

“He told me not to trust anyone.” Steve said simply

“I wonder if that included him.” Pierce said

“I'm sorry. Those were his last words. Excuse me.” Steve went to leave the office, picking up the shield

“Captain.” Pierce said, Steve pausing

“Somebody murdered my friend and I'm gonna find out why. Anyone gets in my way, they're gonna regret it. Anyone.”

“Understood.” Steve nodded before turning and leaving

 

 

As Steve drove his motorcycle he debated his next move, seeing he had just managed to piss SHIELD off enough for them to send multiple agents to try to stop him,

And a plane, there had been a plane in that situation.

He knew he needed to retrieve the flash drive, but he also needed to get off the radar, and Steve knew exactly who could help him with that.

 

Toni Stark sighed as she stepped out of the crowded coffee shop and started to head down the street. She passed an alleyway when she was suddenly pulled up against someone, who slammed their hand over her mouth. She squeaked and struggled until a voice said in her ear

“Toni, it’s me.”

“Smemh?” She said, her voice muffled, the arms let go of her and she spun around to see Steve, she took a deep breath “You know, if you wanted to hold me, you could’ve just asked.”

Steve rolled his eyes and stepped away from her, due to the fact their proximity was making him uncomfortable

“I need your help.”

“What, to clean your pipes?”

“What?” Steve asked, confused

“Nothing.” Toni shrugged, she then took a few steps forward, invading Steve’s personal space again “Now what would the fabled Captain America want with little ole me?”

“I need you to help me fall off the grid, SHIELD is hunting me.”

“What’d ya do?’ Toni asked “Break Boy Scout regulation?”

“Toni.” Steve said in a warning tone

“Alright, alright, sorry.” Toni apologized, running a hand through her, recently cut, dark hair, when she noticed Steve staring “What?”

“Nothing, it’s just…” Steve shrugged “You looked like Bucky just then.”

 

“Tell me again why we’re going to this hospital?” Toni asked Steve, who rolled his eyes and adjusted the glasses Toni had shoved on him

“I hid the flash drive in…” He trailed off as he stared at the vending machine, which no longer had the drive, or any of the gum. Natasha came up behind them, obscenely popping bubbles.

 

“Where is it?” Steve demanded, after pulling Natasha into a small room and slammed her into a wall

“Safe.” Natasha replied

“Do better!” Steve threatened,

“Where did you get it?” Natasha asked

“Why would I tell you?” Steve asked

“Fury gave it to you. Why?” Natasha asked

“What's on it?” Toni asked from behind Steve

“I don't know.” Natasha stated

“Stop lying!” Steve yelled making Toni jump slightly, her eyes widening

“I only act like I know everything, Rogers.” Natasha replied, unperturbed by Steve’s outburst

“I bet you knew Fury hired the pirates, didn't you?” Steve said, Toni mouthing “Pirates?” behind him

“Well, it makes sense. The ship was dirty, Fury needed a way in, so do you.”

“I'm not gonna ask you again.” Steve warned

“I know who killed Fury.” Natasha stated, piquing Steve’s interest “Most of the intelligence community doesn't believe she exists, the ones who do call her the Winter Soldier. She's credited with over two dozen assassinations in the last fifty years.”

“A ghost story killed Fury?” Toni said, incredulously

“Five years ago I was escorting a nuclear engineer out of Iran, somebody shot at my tires near Odessa. We lost control, went straight over a cliff, I pulled us out, but the Winter Soldier was there. I was covering my engineer, so she shot him straight through me.” Natasha raised her shirt, letting Steve and Toni see the bullet wound scar on the side of her stomach “A Soviet slag, no rifling. Bye-bye bikinis.”

“Yeah, I bet you look terrible in them now.” Steve said sarcastically, Toni looking at him in shock, while Natasha let a hint of smile out

“Going after her is a dead end. I know, I've tried.” Natasha said, before holding up the flash drive “Like you said, she's a ghost story.”

“Well, let's find out what the ghost wants.” Steve said, grabbing the drive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am on a roll.


	4. 'Cause we'll work it out, yeah we'll work it out.

“First rule of going on the run is, don't run, walk.” Natasha said through an earpiece while Toni and Steve walked through a mall, dressed in civilian clothes

“If I run in these shoes, they're gonna fall off.” Steve grumbled, making Toni chuckle. The pair walked into a Mac store, and stopped in front a computer

“Warning Toni, the drive has a level six homing program, so as soon as you boot up SHIELD will know exactly where we are.”

“So we’ve got about nine minutes starting,” Toni said, putting the flash drive in “Now.”

“Damn, looks like Nicky was right about that ship, somebody is definitely trying to hide something. This drive has some sorta AI, it keeps rewriting itself to counter my commands.” Toni said, typing ridiculously fast

“Can you override it?” Steve asked, Toni simply looked at him sarcastically and raised an eyebrow.

“I'm gonna run a tracer. It’s like the SHIELD program that tracks hostile malware, but, much, much better. It’ll tell us where it came from.” Toni said cockily

“Can I help you guys with anything?” An Apple employee said, coming up

“Toni, honeymoon.” Natasha hissed

“Oh, no. My fiancé and I were looking at Honeymoon destinations.” Toni smiled, picking up what Natasha meant immediately

“Right! We're getting married.” Steve said awkwardly as Toni draped her arm around his shoulders (An impressive feat, seeing how much taller he was than her)

“Congratulations. Where do you guys thinking about going?” The Employee asked

Steve looked over at the screen “New Jersey.”

“Oh.” The employee muttered before looking at Steve for a moment “I have the exact same glasses.”

“You two are nearly twins.” Toni said, still typing on the computer

“Yeah, I wish. Specimen. Uh...if you guys need anything, I've been Aaron.” The Employee then left.

“What?” Steve asked as Toni’s shoulders shook with suppressed laughter, but never stopped typing

“’Specimen.’” She muttered

“You said nine minutes, come on.” Steve said, rolling his eyes

“Got it.” Toni smirked, the signal showing Wheaton New Jersey

“You know this place?” Toni asked

“I used to. Let's go.” Steve, pulling out the flash drive and walking out with Toni

As the pair started to walk through the hallway Steve started talking “Standard tac-team. Two behind, to across, two coming straight at us. If they make us, I'll engage, you hit the south escalator to the metro.” As two agents drew closer towards them Natasha hissed in their ears

“Shut up and put your arm around Toni, laugh at something she said.”

“What?” Steve asked, confused

“Do it!” Natasha commanded, Steve put his arm around Toni, pulling her close, and laughed. The agents walked right past them

The two superheroes in disguise got on the down escalator, when Toni noticed Rumlow on the up escalator next to them.

“Kiss me.” Toni said

“What?” Steve asked, surprised

“Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable.” Natasha said over the com

“Yes, they do.” Steve agreed, Toni rolled her eyes and pulled Steve down to kiss her, wrapping her arms around his neck, Steve lightly touching her side. Rumlow’s eyes quickly averted, and Toni pulled away

“You’re better than I thought you’d be.”

 

As Steve drove a car to New Jersey, Natasha crashed in the back seat and Toni reclined in the front with her feet kicked up

“How come Captain Good Deeds knows how to steal a car?”

“Nazi Germany has taught me a lot of things.” Steve shrugged “And we're borrowing. Take your feet off the dash.” Toni rolled her eyes and put her feet down

“Alright then, I have a question for you. You don’t have to answer, but either way, I’ll know the answer.”

“What?” Steve asked

“Was that your first kiss since 1945?” Toni smirk slipped off her face as Steve remained quiet “It was, wasn’t?” Toni laughed “Jesus, Captain. I thought you were Ninety-five, not dead.”

“No, but she is.” Steve said suddenly, the cold statement making Toni shut up, after a few moments of silence Toni spoke quietly

“Sorry.” Steve gave her an incredulous look “I really am; I’m sorry.”

“Alright, thanks.” Steve said quietly

“What was she like?” Toni asked “I mean, you don’t have to tell me, but just curious.”

“Curious about what?” Steve asked

“Curious how she managed to steal Captain America’s heart.” Toni replied truthfully

“She didn’t.” Steve said, Toni looked at him with a confused expression on her face

“She stole the small kid from Brooklyn’s.”

 

They pulled up to the abandoned military base where the signal said to go to

“This is it?” Steve asked

“The file came from here.” Toni nodded

“So did I.”

 

The group walked around the base

“This camp is where I was trained.” Steve said

“Changed much?” Natasha asked

“A little.”

“This is a dead end. Zero heat signature, zero waves, not even radio. Whoever wrote the file must have used a router to throw people off.” Natasha said

“No way, my program would have picked up on that.” Toni said, then she noticed Steve’s eyes “What is it?”

“Army regulations forbid storing ammunition within five hundred yards from the barracks. This building is in the wrong place.” Steve said, walking over to a building, breaking open the lock with his SHIELD, as Natasha and Toni passed him to go inside, Toni turned to look at him

“Nerd.”

They stepped inside and turned on the lights

“This is SHIELD.” Natasha said, taking in the giant SHIELD symbol on the wall

“Maybe where it started.” Steve agreed, they entered a room where, on the wall, there were framed pictures of Howard Stark, Peggy Carter and Colonel Phillips.

“That’s my dad.” Toni said quietly, Steve nodded

“Who’s that girl?” Natasha asked

“Peggy Carter, she was there for me when the plane went down and when…” Steve took a deep breath and walked down the room further, before Toni and Natasha followed Toni spoke quietly

“Does it worry you that he can talk about the plane crash but not about… Her?”

“It worries me more that you would even ask that question.” Natasha said before following Steve

“If you already working in a secret office...” Steve said as Toni walked up, he then pushed the book shelf; it slid and revealed an elevator “Why do you need to hide the elevator?”

 

The elevator doors opened to reveal a room full of old looking computers

“This can't be the data-point, this technology is prehistoric.” Toni said, noticing a small flash drive port, she plugged it in

“Initiate system?” the computer asked

“What the hell.” Toni said, typing in Yes, and then she smiled as the computer cranked up

“"Shall we play a game?"” Natasha joked “It's from a movie that...”

“Yeah, I saw it.” Steve said,

“Aw, our little 40s boy, growing up.” Toni teased, before jumping when an accented voice started speaking

“Rogers, Steven. Born, 1918. Romanoff, Natalia Alianovna. Born, 1984. Antonia Stark. Born, 1970.” Natasha looked at Toni in surprise

“Yeah I know, I’m old.” She then focused on the computer “This is one weird recording.”

“I am not a recording, Fräulein. I may not be the man I was when the Captain took me prisoner in 1945, but I am.” The computer said before a picture of Armin Zola came up on the screen

“Do you know this thing?” Natasha asked

“Arnim Zola was a German scientist who worked for the Red Skull. He's been dead for years.” Steve explained

“First correction, I am Swiss. Second, look around you. I have never been more alive.” Zola said “In 1972 I received a terminal diagnosis. Science could not save my body, my mind, however, that was worth saving on two hundred thousand feet of data banks. You are standing in my brain.”

“Ew.” Toni muttered

“How did you get here?” Steve asked

“Invited.”

“It was Operation Paperclip after World War II. SHIELD recruited German scientists with strategic values.” Natasha explained

“Brilliant idea.” Toni said sarcastically

“They thought I could help their cause. I also helped my own.” Zola said

“HYDRA died with the Red Skull.” Steve protested

“Cut off one head, two more shall take its place.” Zola replied

“Prove it.” Steve challenged

“Accessing archive.” Zola said before bringing up old footage of Red Skull and the SHIELD founders “HYDRA was founded on the belief that humanity could not be trusted with its own freedom. What we did not realize, was that if you try to take that freedom, they resist. The war taught us much. Humanity needed to surrender its freedom willingly. After the war, SHIELD was founded and I was recruited. The new HYDRA grew. A beautiful parasite inside SHIELD. For seventy years HYDRA has been secretly feeding crisis, reaping war. And when history did not cooperate, history was changed.”

“That's impossible, SHIELD would have stopped you.” Natasha protested

“Accidents will happen.” Zola said, pulling up newspaper pictures of when Howard and Maria Stark died in car accident.

“Oh god.” Toni said, clamping her hands over her mouth, her wide eyes shining with unshed tears.

“HYDRA created a world so chaotic that humanity is finally ready to sacrifice its freedom to gain its security. Once the purification process is complete, HYDRA's new world order will arise. We won, Captain. Your death amounts to the same as your Life; a zero sum.” Zola taunted, right before Steve smashed the computer screen, and suddenly Zola’s face was on another screen

“As I was saying...”

“What's on this drive?” Steve demanded

“Project Insight requires insight. So I wrote an algorithm.” Zola replied

“What kind of algorithm? What does it do?” Natasha asked, realizing Toni would be incapable of asking questions she’d want to know the answer to

“The answer to your question is fascinating. Unfortunately, you shall be too dead to hear it.” Zola said, Steve tried to catch the door with his shield, but they closed anyways

“Steve, I got a bogey. Short-range ballistic. Thirty seconds, tops.” Natasha said, Toni looking up in shock

“Who fired it?”

“SHIELD.” Natasha stated

“I am afraid I have been stalling, Captain.” Zola taunted as Natasha grabbed the flash drive “Admit it, it’s better this way. We're both of us...out of time.”

Steve noticed a small opening in the floor; he threw the metal door aside and pushed Natasha and Toni in. He landed on top of them and protected them with his shield. The facility exploded, and Steve pulled himself and Toni (who was knocked out) out of the rubble, Natasha followed.

A STRIKE team looked around the site, no bodies.

Rumlow spoke

“Call in the asset.”

 

Alexander Pierce walked into his kitchen to grab himself a drink, but at his drenched in shadow table sat the Winter Soldier with her arm stretched out and her gun on the table.

“I'm going to go, Mr. Pierce. You need anything before I leave?” Pierce’s housekeeper called out, not in the kitchen

“No. Uh...it's fine, Renata, you can go home.” Pierce said, still looking at the woman at his table

“Okay, night-night.”

“Good night.” Pierce said, once Renata’s footsteps faded away he spoke “Want some milk?”

She didn’t reply

“The timetable has moved. Our window is limited. Three targets, level six.” Pierce stated, still no response “They already cost me Zola. I want confirmed death in ten hours.”

Renata suddenly came back in the kitchen, recoiling when she saw the Winter Soldier

“Mr. Pierce, I...I forgot my phone.”

“Oh, Renata. I wish you would have knocked.” Pierce said, picking up the Winter Soldier’s gun and shooting her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just really love writing Toni.


	5. I'll be your ghost, your game, your stadium.

Sam opened his door to find Steve, Natasha and Toni. All tired, all dirty and all looking like they needed to processes something horrible that just happened.

“Hey, man.” Sam started slowly, seeing Toni Stark in front of his house was not how he’d thought his day would go

“I'm sorry about this. We need a place to lay low.” Steve said

“Everyone we know is trying to kill us.” Natasha explained

Sam paused before answering “Not everyone.”

 

Steve had just finished a conversation with Natasha, when he noticed Toni looking down at her hands.

“Hey.” He said, sitting down next to her “What’s wrong.”

“I tried to get my suit, but I’ve only got the one.” Toni said slowly “And it’s locked down. Without it I’m useless.”

“You’re not useless.” Steve protested “You’re smart and you-.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Toni interrupted, still looking down “I’m useless in a fight. And I want to kill that bitch who murdered my parents.” Steve was quiet for a long moment,

“We don’t know that.” Steve said

“Oh, so you’re going to protect a woman you know shot Fury?” Toni said, her voice getting slightly hysterical

“No,” Steve said firmly “We don’t know if HYDRA killed your parents, it could have just been Zola trying to compromise you.”

“Well, he did a great job!” Toni said, fake cheeriness “’Cause now all I care about is that bitch’s brains getting blown out.”

 “Once I get her down, I’ll give you the gun.” Steve promised after a long moment; Toni looked up at him in surprise “If anyone has earned that right, it’s you.”

“You sure do know how to spoil a girl.” Toni smiled teasingly; calming down slightly. They looked at each other for a long moment, Toni leaning in slowly

“I made breakfast. If you guys...eat that sort of thing.” Sam said, the two superheroes snapping back and looking at him in surprise. Sam didn’t say anything else, just smirked slightly.

 

The quartet stood around Sam’s kitchen table, coming up with a plan

“So, the question is: who in SHIELD could launch a domestic missile strike?” Natasha said

“Pierce.” Was all Steve said

“Who just so happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world/History.” Toni said, rubbing her temples “Wow guys, really loving these circumstances.”

“But he's not working alone; Zola's algorithm was on the Lemurian Star.” Steve said

“So was Jasper Sitwell.” Natasha added

“So, the real question is: how do the three most wanted people in Washington kidnap a SHIELD officer in broad daylight?” Steve said

“The answer is: you don't.” Sam said, dropping a file in front of Steve

“What's this?” Steve asked

“Call it a resume.” Sam said

“Is this Bakhmala? The Khalid Khandil mission, that was you.” Natasha said, looking at a photo “You didn't say he was a para-rescue.”

Steve looked at a photo of Sam with his partner “Is this Riley?”

“Yeah.” Sam said

“I heard they couldn't bring in the choppers because of the RPGs. What did you use, a stealth chute?” Natasha asked

“No. These.” Sam said, handing a file to Toni, who opened

“Oh, my god.” She said, laughing slightly

“I thought you said you're a pilot.” Steve said

“I never said a pilot.” Sam smiled

“I can't ask you to do this, Sam. You got out for a good reason.” Steve said

“Dude, Captain America needs my help. There's no better reason to get back in.” Sam said happily

“I like this one, let’s keep him.” Toni said smiling at Sam

“Where can we get our hands on one of these things?” Steve asked, ignoring Toni

“The last one is at Fort Meade, behind three guarded gates and a twelve-inch steel wall.” Sam said, getting slightly discouraged, Steve looked at Natasha and Toni, the former shrugging her shoulders and Toni giving him a look

“Shouldn't be a problem.”

 

As Sam drove the Super Soldier, the Spy, the Billionaire and their informer, the latter was freaking out.

“HYDRA doesn't like leaks.” Sitwell said, Toni, who was sitting next to him in the back seat, rolled her eyes

“So why don't you try sticking a cork in it.” Sam said irritably

“Insight's launching in sixteen hours, we're cutting it a little bit close here.” Natasha said from the front seat

“I know. We'll use him to bypass the DNA scans and access the Helicarriers directly.” Steve said, feeling awkward about having his arm across the back of the seat and having Toni leaning into him

“What?! Are you crazy? That is a terrible, terrible idea.” Sitwell said

The next thing Steve knew Sitwell was pulled out through the window and thrown into traffic.

Everything went rapidly downhill from there.

The Winter Soldier, who was standing on the roof of the car, started to shoot at them. Steve pulled the emergency break; sending the woman flying. She landed and slid while her metal arm scrapped against the ground, her hair becoming wilder than before. She stood up slowly, glaring at the car, Natasha pulled out her gun to shoot her, when a HYDRA car rammed into the back theirs. Natasha dropped her gun as the HYDRA car pushed them closer and closer to the Winter Soldier, who, at the last minute, jumped and landed on their car again. As Sam tried to stop the car, the Winter Soldier reached through the windshield and pulled out the steering wheel.

“Shit!” Sam yelled

Natasha started shooting at the Winter Soldier but she managed to get on the HYDRA car. The HYDRA car kept ramming into theirs causing it to almost flip, Steve grabbed the other three and exclaimed

“Hang on!” He broke the door and they went skidding against the asphalt. Steve, Natasha and Toni managed to stay on it, but Sam rolled off, separating them. The HYDRA car that the Winter Soldier was standing on stopped as Steve, Natasha and Toni scrambled to get up. As the Winter Soldier got off the car, she was handed a gun, which she shot at Steve who was waving off the girls and just barely caught the bomb with his shield. It sent him flying off the overpass and into a bus that flipped over.

Natasha and Toni hid behind one car while Sam hid behind another as the HYDRA agents shot at them and the Winter Soldier slowly advanced. Finally Sam had to retreat from the car he was taking cover at, Natasha started to shoot at the agents, and the Winter Soldier shot the car, blowing it up. Natasha grabbed Toni and they jumped off the overpass, Natasha using a grappling hook gun to slow them down.

The Winter Soldier discarded the big gun, and was given a rifle by one of the men. She walked to the side of the overpass where she knew the two women would run out of. Natasha saw the Winter Soldier’s shadow from the overpass, waiting for them.

The Winter Soldier heard a noise from the bus and when she raised her gun towards it, Natasha shot at her. The Winter Soldier pulled back from the edge, sitting down, and took off her now damaged goggles. After a moment she jumped back up, immediately firing her gun down where Natasha had been, but she and Toni had moved to behind the bus. Natasha and the Winter Soldier traded fire for a moment before Natasha grabbed Toni and ran off.

"Я позабочусь о женщинах.” The Winter Soldier hissed in a husky voice before jumping off the overpass and landing on a car, the other men began attaching hooks to cars so they could join her. Steve began to get up in the bus that he had crashed into when the HYDRA agents who’d just landed began shooting at it. Steve ran out of it and grabbed his shield, stopping the bullets from getting to him.  

While another HYDRA agent attached a hook to a car, Sam came up behind him with a knife. Killing him, grabbing his gun and pushing him over the edge.

Steve blocked the bullets with his shield, and started to deflect them into the men, he got all but one and started to walk towards the man with the machine gun on a car. Sam shot the straggler as Steve ran to the man, finally grabbing his gun and flipping over him. Steve noticed another man shooting at Sam, who yelled

“Go, I got this!”

Steve nodded and ran off.

 

As The Winter Soldier looked for Natasha and Toni, she heard a voice coming from behind a car.

“Civilians threatened. I make an LZ, twenty-three hundred block at Virginia Avenue. Rendezvous two minutes.” Natasha said

“Civilians threatened. Repeat, civilians threatened.”

The Winter Soldier quietly rolled a bomb under the car

“I make an LZ, twenty-three hundred block at Virginia Avenue. Rendezvous two minutes.”

The bomb blew up and Natasha suddenly jumped on the Winter Soldier, but she easily threw her off. Natasha grabbed Toni and they began to run.

“Get out of the way! Stay out of the way!” She yelled to the civilians, suddenly a piercing pain went through her shoulder, and she fell over, having gotten shot in the shoulder.

“Toni, run!” She yelled as The Winter Soldier aimed her gun again while standing on a car.

Before she could shoot her, Steve ran towards the assassin. The Winter Soldier whipped around and slammed her metal fist into Steve’s shield, they stood there for a second before the woman moved her arm and jump kicked him in the chest, Steve went flying back while she just landed on the car. The Winter Soldier raised her gun and started firing at him, Steve held up his shield and when she ran out of bullets he stood up while she rolled off the car. She shot at him again through the car, but her other gun ran out of bullets. As she started to reload, Steve jumped over the car and kicked it out of her hand; she pulled out another gun and started shooting at him, which he blocked.

Steve finally got to attack, and punched her in the face. He went to hit her with his shield but she caught it in her metal hand and got a few punches in, then she twisted his shield so he went flying.

Steve threw some punches at her, but she blocked them with his shield, finally punching him so he went flying backwards. She stood in an offensive stance with his shield up, and Steve had a strange twinge run through him

_No one but him had ever handled his shield before,_

_Well,_

_Except for Bucky._

Steve instantly cleared his mind of Bucky, and tried not to note the similarities between her and the woman wielding his shield now. There weren’t any, which scared him more, because it meant he wanted there to be some. Which meant,

_No_

He stood up and started running at the woman, who threw his shield at him. It missed and hit the van; obviously it had been thrown hard, as it stuck in it. As Steve ran at her, she pulled out a knife, twirling it in her fingers to get it in the position she wanted it to be in. Instantly they were at it again

_Who the hell is this woman?_

She never faltered, just kept going. Steve hadn't had this much of an equal in fight since, well, ever. Steve finally kicked her in the stomach, sending her into a van, he ran at her, jumping and kicking her in the chest. But she didn't drop, like he expected her to, just started again. He threw her into the ground, but she was able to get her metal hand around his neck, she picked him up and threw him over the car. The Winter Soldier jumped on the car and then jumped down to slam her fist into Steve, the latter barely moving out of the way in time.

Off behind a different car Toni watched their fight, hoping that there’d be an opening that she could help with.

_Come on Steve_

The Winter Soldier pushed Steve into a car and pulled another knife out, Steve barely blocking it. Her metal arm pushed and the knife rammed into the car, she slid it down, hoping she could get him, but he stopped it. Steve flipped her and in the time it took for her to get up, he grabbed his shield. After a couple hits he managed to hit the metal arm with his shield, making a dent in it. He slammed her face with shield. Then he grabbed her by her mask and flipped her.

She went flying.

Her mask didn’t make it that far.

She stood up, her back to him and turned around

Her full face was now visible to Steve

_no_

_No_

_NO_

 

 

“Bucky?”

 

 

“Who the hell is Bucky?”

 

 _Bucky_ pulled out a gun, about to shoot him before Sam, quite literally, flew in and kicked her away. She stood up and looked at Steve in confusion before putting her gun up again. Toni handled it, shooting a bomb at her, while Natasha leaned heavily on a car. When the smoke cleared, she was gone; in her place were multiple SHIELD cars that surrounded them.

“Drop the shield, Captain! On your knees! Get on your knees! Now! Get down! Get down!” Rumlow shouted, Steve dropping his shield willingly and holding his arms up, completely in a daze.

“Get on your knees! Down!” Rumlow kicked Steve’s leg and Steve dropped to his knees.

“Don't move.” Rumlow said, noticing the helicopter he hissed to the man holding a gun to Steve’s head “Put the gun down. Not here. Not here!”

_Anyone else_

_Not her_

_Not Bucky._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Я позабочусь из женщин. Найти его means "I'll take care of the women, find him." according to google translate.  
> Can I just say, writing this was super intense, and when I was done I had to take a break just to sit and drink water.  
> Also, action sequences are impossible to write.


	6. I got my mind made up, man, I can't let go.

 

The four sat in a van, being escorted to god knows where

“It was her. She looked right at me and she didn't even know me.” Steve said with a thick voice, not even looking up.

“Steve,” Toni said quietly from beside him, placing her hand on his shoulder “You’ve got to look at this objectively; it’s been a long day, and she did have similar facial aspects so you could’ve easily-.”

“Don’t you dare.” Steve’s head snapped up as he spoke in a harsh “Don’t you dare say that I would mistake anyone else for Bucky.”

Toni recoiled slightly in surprise and then said in a biting tone “Well I don’t see how she could be here seeing how she died seventy years ago.”

“Zola. The whole unit that Bucky was nursing was captured in '43, Zola experimented on 'em. Whatever he did, it helped Bucky survive the fall. They must have found her.”

“None of that's your fault, Steve.” Natasha said

“How is it not?” Steve asked

“We need to get a doctor here. We don't put pressure on that wound she's gonna bleed out here in the truck.” Sam said, noticing Natasha’s wound. One of the guards pulled out and electric rod threateningly.

But then they electrocuted the other guard, knocking him out.

“That thing was squeezing my brain.” Maria Hill said, discarding the guard helmet “Who's this guy?” She asked, nodding at Sam

 

Rumlow jumped out of the car and ordered a few of the crew

“Four holes. Start digging.” Then he went over to the van, opened the back, and found a knocked out guard and a massive hole burnt in the bottom of the van.

 

As Maria walked them through the facility, a Doctor came running up to them

“GSW. She's lost at least a pint.” Maria stated

“Maybe two.” Sam added

“Let me take her!” The doctor ordered

“She'll want to see him first.” Maria said, leading the four into a room where Nick Fury sat on a bed, alive and well.

“About damn time."

 

As Natasha’s wound was treated Nick Fury explained what had happened

“Lacerated spinal column, cracked sternum, shattered collarbone, perforated liver, one hell of a headache.”

“Don't forget your collapsed lung.” The doctor interjected

“Oh, let's not forget that. Otherwise, I'm good.” Nick said

“They cut you open, your heart stopped.” Natasha said

“Tetrodotoxin B. Slows the pulse to one beat a minute. Banner developed it for stress. Didn't work so great for him, but we found a use for it.” Nick explained

“Why all the secrecy? Why not just tell us?” Steve asked

“Any attempt on the director's life had to look successful.” Maria said bluntly

“Can't kill you if you're already dead. Besides, I wasn't sure who to trust.” Nick said simply

 

Inside a laboratory, Bucky sat with her left arm propped up, allowing scientist to work on it

_“Agent Barnes.”_

_Falling from a train, the man on the bridge trying to catch her_

_“BUCKY NO.”_

_“The procedure has already started.”_

_Her left arm gone, replaced with a metal one_

_“Bucky, you know you’re my only girl.”_

_“You are the new face of HYDRA.”_

_“When this through, I’m gonna marry you.”_

_“Put her on ice.”_

She lashed out, throwing the HYDRA agent fixing her arm.

 

“Sir, she's...she's unstable. Erratic.” A scientist said to Pierce as he entered the room where Bucky was sitting, followed by Rumlow and a few other agents

“Mission report.” He ordered, looking at Bucky, who didn’t respond and just kept looking out blankly

“Mission report, now.” She still didn’t respond, Pierce moved closer and struck her across the face, Bucky finally came back to herself and asked

“The man on the bridge...” She said slowly “Who was he?”

“You met him earlier this week on another assignment.” Pierce said warily

“I knew him.” Bucky said

“Damn it.” Pierce said quietly, sitting down in front of her “Your work has been a gift to mankind. You shaped this century, and I need you to do it one more time. Society is at a tipping point between order and chaos. Tomorrow morning we're gonna give it a push. But if you don't do your part, I can't do mine, and HYDRA can't give the world the freedom it deserves.”

“But I knew him.” Bucky repeated

Pierce stood up and turned to scientist

“Prep her.”

“She’s been out of cryo-freeze for too long.”

“Then wipe her and start over.” Pierce ordered

The scientists held out a mouth guard that she bit down on immediately, and allowed them to strap her down into the chair. As the process of wiping her brain began, her muffled shrieks filled the room.

 

“This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize. He said, "Peace wasn't an achievement, it was a responsibility." See, its stuff like this that gives me trust issues.” Nick said, sighing loudly

“We have to stop the launch.” Natasha said

“I don't think the Council's accepting my calls anymore.” Fury said, opening a case containing three chips

“What's that?” Sam asked

“Once the Helicarriers reach three thousand feet, they'll triangulate with Insight satellites becoming fully weaponized.” Maria said, starting the explanation

“We need to breach those carriers and replace their targeting blades with our own.” Nick said

“One or two won't cut it. We need to link all three carriers for this to work, because if even one of those ships remains operational a whole lot of people are gonna die.” Maria continued

“We have to assume everyone aboard those carriers is HYDRA. We need to get pass them, insert the server blades, and maybe, just maybe, we can salvage what's left...” Nick said before Steve interrupted

“We're not salvaging anything. We're not just taking down the carriers, Nick, we're taking down SHIELD.”

“SHIELD had nothing to do with it.” Fury argued

“You gave me this mission, this is how it ends. SHIELD's been compromised, you've said so yourself. HYDRA was right under your nose and nobody noticed.”

“Why do you think we're meeting in this cave? I noticed.” Nick said

“And how many paid the price before you did?” Steve said coldly, Toni looked down at the table, knowing exactly who he was thinking of.

“Look, I didn't know about your girlfriend.” Nick said before Steve interrupted

“Even if you had, would you have told me? Or would you have compartmentalized that too? SHIELD, HYDRA, it all goes.” Steve said

“He’s right.” Maria said suddenly, Fury looking over at the other three people in the room

“Don't look at me. I do what he does, just slower.” Sam said teasingly

“Well... Looks like you're giving the orders now, Captain.”

 

 

Steve looked out over the water that flowed under the bridge he was standing on, deep in thought.

_“We looked for you after. My folks wanted to give you a ride from the cemetery.” Bucky said, walking behind a pre-serum Steve up to his apartment door_

_“I know, I'm sorry. I just...kind of wanted to be alone.” Steve said, smiling up at Bucky, who stood a good head above him_

_“How was it?” She asked, slipping her hand into his_

_“It was okay. She's next to Dad.” Steve muttered_

_“I was wondern’…”_

_“I know what you're gonna say, Buck, I just...” Steve interrupted_

_“We can put the couch cushion on the floor like when we were kids. It'll be fun.” Bucky said smiling sweetly as she let go Steve’s hand while he looked for his key, and kicked a brick aside to grab the key._

_“Come on.” Bucky smiled, passing the key to him_

_“Thank you, Buck, but I can get by on my own.” Steve protested_

_“The thing is, you don't have to.” Bucky smiled while wrapping her arms around his neck_

_“I'm with you till the end of the line.”_

“She's going be there.” Toni said, interrupting Steve’s thoughts

“I know.” Steve said

“Steve, what she’s become...” Toni trailed off “She’s not the person you save, she’s the one you stop.”

“I’m not going to do that.” Steve said

“Then I will.” Toni said, Steve head jerked up

“What?”

“I’m going to get my suit.” Toni said, looking out at the water “And I’m not going to hesitate.”

“Then I won’t either.” Steve warned, Toni’s head snapping back to look at him.

“So, what, you’re going to give up on this for some killer.” Toni said, gesturing between the two of them “She isn’t that girl that you remember, she’s a machine, and you’re going to throw away-.”

“Throw away what?” Steve interrupted

“This thing between us!”

“What Thing Between Us?” Steve asked,

Toni grabbed his face and kissed him,

After a few seconds she dragged herself away

“That thing between us.” Toni said, pulling her hands away “And you want to chuck it for a woman who died a long time ago.”

“I would do anything for Bucky.” Steve said; pulling away from Toni, as he turned around and started to walk away, then he paused. He didn’t he even turn around as he said in heart wrenching finality  “Besides, there isn’t anything between us.” 

And Steve turned away, leaving a tearful, crestfallen Toni in his wake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll post the last chapter tomorrow!  
> Also I was thinking of writing a bunch of one-shots about how Steve and Bucky could find each other again. I have a lot of those inside of my head, but I want to be able to write the canon reunion.


	7. Til the Love runs out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING  
> Intense violence that wasn't originally in the movie

 

Steve ran down the metal bridge to the center of the Hellicarrier. He and Sam had managed to get the other ones connected. But his running slowed when he approached Bucky, who was standing between him and the center.

“People are gonna die, Buck. I can't let that happen.” Steve said, Bucky just looked back coldly “Please, don't make me do this.”

Steve realized she wasn’t going to back down; he threw his shield at her, which she deflected with her arm and pulled out a gun. She started to shoot him, but he blocked it with his shield, she managed to get a bullet to graze his arm. When she ran at him, Steve slammed her with his shield, sending her flying backwards, Steve winced along with her. Bucky stood up again, pulling out a knife, and they started again.

_“She can’t just stay down, can she?”_

After a few hits, Steve managed to push her back and he opened the panel to replace the chip, only turning in time to just catch her next blow. After a few hits, Steve kicked her back, and pulled out the old chip, and then she hit his shield with her metal arm. They fought for few seconds before he managed to hit her so she hit the other side of the bridge. She looked at him angrily and tackled him over the side. They both fell on one of the curved panels under the bridge, the drive dangerously close to the edge. Both of them started to fight again. She managed to hit him hard enough that he went flying, nearly falling off the panel, only just grabbing the chip, and she slid after him.

She twisted his arm and the chip fell off the side, Steve managed to kick her off the side, jumping down there himself. Steve went running for the chip, when he was hit in the back of the head with his shield, he picked it up quickly, shielding himself from Bucky’s gunfire. Suddenly a loud sound filtered through the Hellicarrier.

_Back in black I hit the sack_   
_It's been too long I'm glad to be back_   
_Yes I'm, let loose_   
_From the noose That's kept me hanging around_   
_I keep looking at the sky 'Cause it's gettin' me high_   
_Forget the hearse 'cause I'll never die_   
_I got nine lives, Cats eyes_   
_Usin' every one of them and running wild_   
_'Cause I'm back_   
_Yes, I'm back_   
_Well, I'm back_   
_Yes, I'm back_   
_Well, I'm back, back_   
_(Well) I'm back in black_   
_Yes, I'm back in black_   
_Back in the back_

“So Stevie,” Toni’s mock cheeriness voice rang through his ear “Did you miss me?”

Suddenly, Iron Woman landed in front of the two super soldiers, putting quite a strain on the glass she landed on. She lifted her arm and a few mini missiles appeared, aimed directly at Bucky, who put her hands up slowly.

Toni took a few steps towards her, until she was close enough to punch her straight in the face. Bucky could take a punch from Steve, sure, but a vengeful woman wearing a metal suit was another story. She fell to her hands and knees, Toni quickly kicked her in the stomach, sending her rolling.

Steve went and picked up the chip from where it had fallen, when he turned back to the girls, he found Toni holding Bucky’s collar and mercilessly punching her over and over again. Steve winced at Bucky’s face and finally said

“Toni, that’s enough.” Toni turned, and even though she had her visor down, he could tell that she was glaring at him. She hit Bucky again, but let go of her collar so she fell to the ground, breathing hard and sputtering out blood, trying to pull herself up but unable to.

“Oh, what? Too much violence for Captain America. Fine, I’ll stop.” Toni turned back around, and saw that Bucky had managed to get on all fours; she slammed her foot onto Bucky’s back, and then kicked her over so she was facing her. She then slammed her foot onto Bucky’s elbow, breaking her arm and pulling a shriek of pain from Bucky, before finally resting her foot on her chest. She raised her arm again, the missiles appearing

“Besides, I told you I wouldn’t hesitate.”

Suddenly Toni’s suit shook like it had been electrocuted and fell to the ground beside Bucky.

“So did I.” Steve said, having just thrown one of Natasha’s electroshockers onto Toni, incapacitating the suit, but Toni still completely conscience and fine on the inside.

“Reboot in five minutes.” The suit stated

Steve began to leap up to the vestibule, when he felt a splitting pain run through his shoulder. He looked back to see Bucky aiming at him, stumbling slightly at the exertion she had to put on her broken body. She shot again, as the countdown got down to single digits. She never made a critical hit, whether it was because of her bodily wounds or because somewhere in the recess of her mind she realized he’d saved her from death.

He got the chip in, without a second to spare.

He slid down the wall and heard Maria say over the com

“Okay, Cap, get out of there.”

“Fire now.” Steve directed

“But, Steve.” She protested

“Do it! Do it now!”  He yelled, Maria reluctantly setting the Hellicarriers’ guns on each of the others

As the Hellicarriers began to fall apart, Steve jumped down to where Toni and Bucky were, both trapped in some way. Bucky tried to push the rubble that had fallen on her; Steve picked up his shield and wedged it under the beam, lifting it up enough for Bucky to get up. As she staggered to her feet he began to talk, much to Toni’s chagrin

“You know me.” Steve said

“NO I DON’T!” Bucky lashed out at him

“Bucky, you've known me your whole life.” Steve said calmly, Bucky punched him, but Steve just took it

“Steve, just fight back.” Toni hissed, even though no one could hear her

“Your name is Rebecca Barnes.” Bucky hit him again

“SHUT UP!” Steve sighed and removed his helmet and dropped his shield, it fell into the murky water below

“I'm not gonna fight you. You’re the only woman I will ever love.” Toni winced in her suit, two more minutes

“You're my mission.” Bucky said, pushing Steve to the ground, right on the edge, and started to punch him repeatedly across the face

“YOU’RE. MY. MISSION.” She accentuated each word with a blow

“Then finish it.” Steve said, Bucky paused with her fist raised “Cause I'm with you till the end of the line.”

Bucky stopped, her eyes growing wider with the horror of remembrance. Before she said anything, a part of the Hellicarrier gave away, Steve falling into the water beneath.

“STEVE!” Toni screeched, she still had forty-five seconds

Bucky was looking at her shaking hands, then she straightened, sent the still bawling Toni a dark look, and jumped off the edge of the Hellicarrier herself.

“Five seconds.” Toni’s suit said “Four. Three. Two. One. Reboot complete.” Toni jumped up and went flying off the edge. As she neared the water something caught her eye, Steve was there, dripping wet, unconscious and lying on the beach. Toni put up her visor and kneeled beside him

“Steve? Steve?” She said, deciding to give thought to who got him out of the water later.

 

In a private hospital room, Steve was on the brink between conscious and unconsciousness. The Doctors had said he would be fine even if he hadn’t woken up yet; they just needed to leave him alone and to let him rest, so he was all alone at the moment. At least, he thought he was alone, until he felt a hand combing through his hair. He opened his eyes blearily

“Bucky?”

“Yeah.” She said quietly, never ceasing her (Metal) hand’s movement in his hair

“Are you okay?” He asked, taking in her beat up features

“You should look in a mirror.” It was such a Bucky thing to say, but delivered so differently.

“Hey.” He said, reaching out to grab her right arm, but when she straightened like she’d been hit, he remembered what Toni had done to her.

“Shoot, sorry.” He said, letting go of her arm for a second, before grabbing it again. He lifted her arm slowly by her wrist, and slipping out the morphine needle they had stuck in him.

“No, don’t.” Bucky protested quietly

“Hey, it’s okay, you need it more than I do.” Steve said, before pushing the needle into her vein. After a moment she relaxed a bit more, obviously not in pain quite as much.

“Thanks.” She murmured

“Are you going to stay?” Steve asked, leaning against the pillows a bit more as Bucky resumed her previous activities

“You know I can’t.” Bucky whispered

“Please stay.” He begged quietly. Bucky sighed before she finally leaned forward to kiss him gently.

To be honest.

It sort of hurt.

Even with the remaining morphine running through his body, any pressure hurt. But at the same time it felt better than anything Steve had ever felt. When she pulled away, she sighed, having heard Toni’s voice demanding to be let in to see Steve. She slowly put the needle back into Steve.

“No, no, no, please don’t go.” He pleaded,

“I’m sorry,” Bucky said, kissing his forehead “but I have to.” As she opened the window she had come in she turned around “Don’t think this is the last time you’ve seen me.” Then she jumped out.

Then Steve’s eyes opened,

Beside him he saw Toni sitting in a chair, Steve began to wonder if Bucky had been there at all or just a drug induced lucid dream. Toni noticed he was awake and immediately jumped up and started talking fast, but Steve didn’t really hear her, just kept thinking about Bucky.

_It had to have been a dream; no way she came here._

The End

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve was grabbing the sparse amount of stuff he had in the hospital room. Toni sat on his hospital bed, reading different versions of what happened in D.C. on her phone. Neither of them had acknowledged what had happened on the bridge and on the Hellicarrier; opting to ignore their problems for the time being.

“I’ve got everything, let’s go.” He said finally, Toni jumping off his bed

“I now this really good pizza place we could stop by, they’re breadsticks are amazing.” Toni said, walking towards the door until she noticed that Steve was standing in the corner; holding something.

“What?” She asked, Steve turned around slowly; his face was pale as a ghost’s. Toni looked at what he was holding and her eyes widened comically

“No way.”

Because

In Steve’s hands

Was his shield.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it!  
> I'm not sure when the One-Shots will be done, hopefully soon.


End file.
